Attachments for mouthpieces of saxophones and like musical instruments



Dec. 14, 1965 M. E. AMON ATTACHMENTS FOR MOUTHPIEGES OF SAXOPHONES AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Aug. 6, 1964 INVENTOR MAURICE E. AMON ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,222,974 ATTACHMENTS FOR MOUTHPIECES OF SAXO- PHONES AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Maurice E. Amon, 45 Hume Hill Drive, Amherst, Ohio Filed Aug. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 387,855 10 Claims. (Cl. 84-383) This invention relates, as indicated, to attachments for mouthpieces of saxophones and like musical instruments. In playing musical instruments, such as saxophones and other instruments of the reed type, the pressure of the lips and teeth on the reed has a tendency to bend the end portion of the reed in a direction progressively closer to the mouthpiece, thereby impairing or changing the tone of the instrument in an undesired manner. The reed thus becomes slightly warped or acquires a set which renders it necessary to frequently replace the reed with a new one, if the original tone of the instrument is to be preserved.

In some cases, the reed is removed periodically from the mouthpiece in order to permit it to dry or to attempt to preserve it in its original condition, but such removal introduces the possibility of causing damage to the reed, due to the manual handling thereof and the resultant possibility of its being bumped against other objects. This, in turn, tends to reduce the life of the reed.

It is an object of the invention, accordingly, to provide a mouthpiece attachment for an instrument of the character described, which, when the instrument is not being played, and the reed is drying, biases the reed away from the mouthpiece in order to compensate for the aforesoid effect of the lip and teeth pressure, thereby maintaining the reed at its original stiffness, and preserving the original resistance to blowing and the tone of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mouthpiece attachrnent for an instrument of the character described, which is effective to permit the reed of the instrument to become dried or partially dried, when the instrument is played intermittently, or is not in use, and which is, at the same time, effective to prevent warping or curling of the reed or damage to the reed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described, which is used without requiring the removal of the reed from the mouthpiece, and which is thus effective to preserve or lengthen the life of the reed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character described, through the use of which the desired tone of the instrument is maintained each time that playing is resumed, so that there is no impairment of the tone during intermittent playing of the instrument.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the attachment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment of FIG. 1 in position on the mouthpiece of a saxophone or like instrument;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the attachment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing a modified or simplified form of the attachment;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational View of the attachment of FIG. 5; and v FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the attachment of FIGS. 5 and 6.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, there is depicted in FIG. 2 the mouthpiece M of a musical instrument of the clarinet or saxophone type, having a reed R.

The attachment, generally designated by reference numeral 1, is preferably made or molded, in one piece, of a material such as a plastic, and comprises a transversely arched top 2, a curved back portion 3, and a hood portion 4 which extends downwardly from the top 2 and forwardly from the edges of the back 3 and is shaped to conform generally with the tip of the mouthpiece M.

The attachment is also provided adjacent its lower end with curved arms 5 and 6, which are adapted to partially embrace or clasp the mouthpiece M and to assist in properly positioning the attachment.

The attachment further includes a web 7, which depends from the top 2 and extends transversely between the walls of the hood portion 4, this web being triangular or wedge-shaped in vertical cross-section, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The front face of the web 7 is flat, but the rear face may be provided with vertical serrations 8 for a purpose to be presently described.

The back 3 of the attachment is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 9, for a purpose to be presently described, and the top 2 of the attachment is provided rearwardly of the upper end of the web 7 with a series of holes 10, also for a purpose to be presently described.

The attachment is mounted on the mouthpiece M in the manner shown in FIG. 2, with the web 7 interposed between the rear of the mouthpiece and the upper end of the reed R, and with the lower portion of the back 3 in engagement with the back of the lower portion of the reed.

The effect of thus mounting the attachment is to cause the web 7 to bias the end portion of the reed away from the mouthpiece, thereby to compensate for the effect of the lip and teeth pressure hereinbefore described, and to maintain the reed at its original stiffness and preserve the original resistance to blowing, as well as to preserve the tone of the instrument.

At the same time, the upper or lip portion of the reed is spaced from the mouthpiece by the web 7 in a manner which permits air to enter the holes 10 and passageways between the serrations 8 to thereby dry or partially dry the reed. Moreover, air entering the opening 9 of the back is effective to also assist in drying or partially drying the reed.

The web 7 and the lower portion of the back 3 act conjointly to hold the reed in a manner which prevents the reed from becoming warped or curled.

The attachment is thus effective to preserve or lengthen the life of the reed without the necessity of removing the reed from the mouthpiece, and also serves to protect the reed, as well as the mouthpiece, from injury or damage during handling of the instrument.

In some cases, as where excessive drying of the reed is not desired or required, the serrations 8 may be dispensed with and the back of the web 7 left flat, and the holes 10 may also be dispensed with.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a modified or simplified form of the attachment is illustrated, in which the attachment is also made or molded in one piece from a material such as plastic, and consists of a transversely arched top 11, spaced depending side walls 12 and 13 of invertedtriangular form, as seen in FIG. 6, :and a web 14 which extends between the walls 12 and 13 and is triangular or wedgeshaped in vertical cross-section. The front face of the web 14 is flat, but the rear face may be provided with vertical serrations 15, for :a purpose to be presently described.

The attachment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is mounted on the mouthpiece of the instrument in the same manner as in FIG. 2, that is to say, with the web 14 interposedbetween the rear of the mouthpiece and the upper end of the reed.

The effect of thus mounting the attachment is to cause the web 14 to bias the end portion of the reed away from the mouthpiece, thereby to compensate for the efiect of the lip and teeth pressure hereinbefore described, and to maintain the reed at its original stiffness and preserve the original resistance to blowing, as well as to preserve the tone of the instrument.

At the same time, the upper or lip portion of the reed is spaced from the mouthpiece by the web 14 in a manner which permits air to enter the passageways between the serrations 15 to thereby dry or partially dry the reed. To facilitate such entry of air, the top 11 may be provided with holes (not shown) similar to the holes in FIG. 1.

The attachment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is thus effective not only to permit the reed to become dried or partially dried, but also to hold the reed in a manner which prevents the reed from becoming warped or curled. Moreover, it is effective to preserve or lengthen the life of the reed without the necessity of removing the reed from the mouthpiece, and also serves to protect the reed as Well as the mouthpiece from injury of damage during handling of theinstrument.

In some cases, as where excessive drying is not desired or required, the serrations may be dispensed with and the back of the web 14 left flat.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention, herewith shown and described, are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts thereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An attachment for the mouthpiece of a saxophone or like musical instrument, said attachment comprising a member having a transversely arched top and a wedgeshaped element depending from said top and adapted for insertion between the mouthpiece and the reed of said instrument to space said reed from the mouthpiece.

2. An attachment, as defined in claim 1, including spaced side walls depending from the ends of said top, and between which said element extends.

3. An attachment, as defined in claim 2, in which the rear face of said element is provided with vertical grooves forming passageways for air.

4. An attachment, as defined in claim 3, in which said side walls are of inverted triangular shape.

5. An attachment for the mouthpiece of a saxophone or like instrument, said attachment comprising a member having a transveresly arched top, a back portion having an opening therein, a hood portion extending downwardly from said top and adapted to cover the tip of said mouthpiece,- and a wedge-shaped element depending from said top and adapted for insertion betweenthe mouthpiece and the reed of said instrument to space said reed from the.

mouthpiece.

6. An attachment, as defined in claim 5, in which said element extends transversely between the walls of said hood portion, and has a rear face provided with vertical grooves forming passageways for air.

7. An attachment, as defined in claim 6, in which said top is provided with holes forming passageways for access of air to said grooves.

8. An attachment, as defined in claim 7, having spaced arms adjacent its lower end adapted to embrace said mouthpiece.

9. In combination with the mouthpiece and reed of of a musical instrument of the saxophone type, an attachment having a transversely arched top overlying the lip of the reed and a wedge-shaped element extending downwardly from :said top and between said mouthpiece and reed to thereby space the upper portion of the reed,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1890 Renzenbrink 84-3 83 1/ 1912 Winquist 84-3 83 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR THE MOUTHPIECE OF A SAXOPHONE OR LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A MEMBER HAVING A TRANSVERSELY ARCHED TOP AND A WEDGESHAPED ELEMENT DEPENDING FROM SAID TOP AND ADAPTED FOR INSERTION BETWEEN THE MOUTHPIECE AND THE REED OF SAID INSTRUMENT TO SPACE SAID REED FROM THE MOUTHPIECE. 